Operation Freedom Paws

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Operation Freedom Paws

Operation Freedom Paws empowers veterans and others with disabilities to live a quality life.

The program shall consist of but not be limited to the following services:
* provide service dogs to veterans and others with disabilities.
* assist veterans and others with disabilities to train their own service dogs
* obtain appropriate dogs from various sources including but not limited to shelters, rescue groups, and dog breeders provide ongoing support for veterans and others with disabiliti

es and their service dogs
* create a training facility and kennel.
* educate and raise awareness in the public and private sector about disabled individuals and service dog team partnerships.

18/01/2025

What happens when San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle and Alltroo rally for good in support of Operation Freedom Paws mission? Lives are profoundly changed!🙌This incredible gift enables us to welcome two veterans and their families into our program and community for a lifetime. It also helps offset the costs for critical wrap around program resources including mental health therapists, mentor-trainers, and the care of OFP service dogs—ensuring those we serve find hope, healing, and a new path forward, all at no cost to them.

We want to thank everyone who participated, donated, and supported this effort—and congratulations to the winners of the VIP Game Day Experience with George!🏆

On behalf of our Founder and Executive Director, Mary Cortani, our clients, and their families, we extend our deepest gratitude to George, the Kittle family, Kyle, Jon, Alyssa, and the entire Alltroo team. Thank you for recognizing and continuing to address the critical need to serve our veterans and first responders. This gift will have a lasting impact that truly cannot be measured. Please join us in thanking them!🙏🙏🙏

14/01/2025

🌟TuesdayTriumphs! 🌟

Operation Freedom Paws Therapy Dog Teams had an amazing visit at Gilroy Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center during a recent training class. The trainees not only loved Abigail and Riggins, but they were grateful for the recharge the visit provided. 💙

It was truly an honor for our teams — Bruce with Abigail (pictured front) and Rosanne with Riggins (pictured back) — to support the well-being of the healthcare heroes at Gilroy Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. These dedicated professionals provide 24/7 vital nursing care in our community, and we are so grateful for all they do. Thank you! ✨

09/01/2025

Thursday Thank You: A Heartfelt Tribute to Our First Responders

This week, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the firefighters, police, paramedics and other first responders on the frontlines of the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Over 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and tragically, there has been unspeakable loss.

These courageous individuals are not only battling the fires, but also coordinating emergency efforts and providing lifesaving medical care. Many of the first responders we work with here in the Bay Area have been deployed (Gilroy Fire Department San Francisco Fire Department CAL FIRE), and we want all the first responders supporting this crisis to know, how profoundly grateful we are for the critical work they're doing to save lives and communities. Our thoughts are with these heroes, and we wish them safety as they continue this incredibly difficult work.

We hope that the winds decreasing will lead to progress in containment efforts. The scale of this crisis serves as a reminder of how essential it is to support those who take on these life-saving roles in our communities. Our hearts are with everyone affected by these devastating fires.

08/01/2025

It’s our first event of the year! The Operation Freedom Paws Annual Crab Feed is back, and we can’t wait to kick off 2025 with you!

Join us on Saturday, 2/8/25 at historic Old City Hall for an evening of delicious food, fun, and community. Enjoy the treasures waiting for you in our silent auction, drawings, and wine pull, all while soaking in the fun of our seafaring-themed night!

Every ticket and bid helps create lifesaving service dog teams. We sell out fast, so book now! If you can’t join us but still want to support, consider sponsoring a client to attend the event.
Crabby diem friends!

Get all the events details here:https://ofpcrabfeed.givesmart.com

07/01/2025

Tuesday Triumphs! Operation Freedom Paws is honored to be the "VSO of the Quarter" for West Point Society of Silicon Valley(West Point Society San Francisco Bay Area). "The objective of the society is to provide a nonprofit, charitable organization in which graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, may continue their associations and through which they may cooperate to further the ideals of their Alma Mater."

We are grateful to our Board Member, John Mark Wilson, USMC and West Point graduate, and to the West Point Society of Silicon Valley(WPSSFBA) for their dedication to saving veteran lives and supporting veteran families.

06/01/2025

Mentoring Monday: Anger is a normal, healthy emotion, but everyone must learn to manage it. For a person with PTS, a brain injury, or other disability, that task can be a huge challenge. For disabled veterans or first-responders with a history of making split-second life and death decisions, altered thought processes brought about by injuries/illnesses can be overwhelming. Typical applicants to OFP’s program list anger as an issue they would like to address, but learning to work with a service dog can itself be frustrating. The “intelligent disobedience” Mary describes is one example. By refusing to respond to commands they know well, service dogs get us to focus on them instead of on our triggers. This exposes our vulnerabilities to instructors and other members of the class, where we all want perfect behavior from our dogs---now! But perfection is not the goal---the goal is communication. As handlers, we must learn to manage our frustration with our dogs’ misbehavior, recognize it for the alert that it is, acknowledge, and GENUINELY APPRECIATE their efforts to communicate with us. By attempting to identify the changes in our thoughts, bodies, or surroundings that may have gotten the dogs’ attention, we are developing new skills with our canine partners. When we skip these steps, the anger we are feeling will become worse, causing the dogs to escalate their alerts. We call this the “vicious circle”. Over time, the coping skills we learn with our dogs translate into better anger management in other situations.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year 2025!! 🎉🎉🎉 Thanks to this incredible community, we not only met our 12K match, but you went above and beyond to fully fund a new team and secure additional funds for critical resources, including mental health and wraparound program services! Your generosity and commitment to our mission have set us up for a strong start to the year, and we’re excited to continue making a meaningful impact together in 2025. Thank you OFP community, we're truly grateful for each and every one of you! 🙏🙏🙏

31/12/2024

Have you heard the news? We're now rated by Charity Navigator! You can knowing that we have been independently evaluated for being effective. Check out our Charity Navigator profile to learn more!

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/452566382

You can see we're elated to make a bigger impact on our mission together.
Help us finish 2024 strong!
Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278

31/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: These are the final hours to make a tax-deductible donation in 2024 that helps save lives. Our goal is within reach—will you help us fund a new service dog team before the new year?

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278
Or donate on this FB post

A heartfelt thank you to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who’ve partnered with us to provide healing, critical resources, and support to veterans, first responders, children, and other individuals with disabilities in critical need, along with their families- at no cost to them.

Because of you, shelter dogs have also found new purpose as medical lifelines, empowering our clients to regain their independence and transform their lives.

Throughout the 10 Days of Giving, our clients have shared their stories, highlighting the lifesaving impact of your support. As we wrap up 2024, we’re honored to present a compilation of these powerful stories (Content Warning: This video addresses suicidal ideations). A heartfelt thank you to our clients and their families for their bravery, hard work, and trust in our program.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Thank you for helping bring hope, healing, and independence in 2025!

30/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: Service dogs are our clients' medical lifelines, empowering them to navigate a new normal and manage their disabilities. Therapy dogs, like Riggins, play a different but vital role in serving our communities—combating loneliness, reducing stress, and spreading joy in hospitals, schools, and senior living facilities.

When you give, you’re not only supporting lifesaving service dog teams, but also helping us train OFP therapy dog teams that provide critical mental health support to our communities. In this video, Rosanne shares her experience as an OFP therapy dog handler and the powerful impact she witnesses as Riggins touches the lives of everyone he meets.

Thanks to your generosity, we’re within reach of not only meeting our 12K match but fully funding a new lifesaving team before the new year! Please help us finish 2024 strong and let a veteran or first responder know they’ll no longer face their service-related injuries alone. We’re committed to their journey for a lifetime.

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278
Or donate on this FB post

29/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: "This program really has changed my life for the better. I am not going to say it solves all of my problems, but it has given me the tools I needed to get through them in a healthy way. My quality of life has most definitely improved. Thank you for holding me accountable!”

Over 70% of our clients are veterans, many facing profound service-related injuries, including post-traumatic stress and severe mobility issues. Our program equips veterans and first responders with the skillset and wraparound mental health services they need to manage these injuries, regain their independence, and rebuild their lives before their challenges become insurmountable - all at no cost to them.

For veterans like Tony, your support is helping them navigate a healthy way forward and gain a renewed sense of purpose. Now, as a valued member of our team, Tony helps train and care for OFP dogs pulled from shelters and rescues, preparing them to be matched and support another veteran or first responder on their own healing journey.

We’re SO CLOSE to meeting our $12K match challenge by 12/31/24 to turn 12K into 24K! Your gift today will go twice as far to support veterans, first responders, and other individuals with disabilities. Together, we can ensure that those who have sacrificed so much for our country and communities do not face their service-related challenges alone.

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278

28/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: Mary Here: "So what do you do when get a call from a rescue about a litter of crazy lab puppies, and they're five months old no less! Oh and your kennel manager is going to give you heck if you bring them all to OFP at the same time, like you did a time or two before.

You evaluate the puppies and come back with two who could thrive in service - one of which is Memphis here. Labrador Retrievers are great dogs. I just affectionately call them crazy labs, but they are amazing working dogs in all fields. For some labs, a ball or a tug, is way more important to them than a person. Memphis loves his toys but humans are more important to him, which is one of the most important things to us. It takes a lot of prep and manner training to get pups ready to match. And then the real training begins. Memphis will get to train with his human and he is showing promise of becoming a great service dog!"

It’s a good day when we can pull a pup from a rescue or shelter who has the right stuff for service. Memphis is learning to channel his lab energy and is quickly picking up basic commands with our team. When the time is right, as Mary said, he will continue his training with his human and learn specific tasks to become that critical medical lifeline at the end of the leash.

Will you help Memphis be matched with a veteran, first responder, or child and empower them to change their life forever? Your tax-deductible donation is more than a gift—it’s a lifeline. Every dollar donated today will be matched, up to $12K- thanks to the generous match of Piedmont Moving Systems - UniGroup Logistics and anonymous donors!

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278
or click the FB button on this post.

27/12/2024

Habari Ghani! Celebrating love, community, and family. Wishing you a blessed Kwanzaa from all of us at Operation Freedom Paws!

27/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: "OFP has changed my life because I couldn't train Whiskey the same way (so professionally) anywhere else. Now I have a service dog!"

We’re privileged to work with the children and their families in our program, equipping kids like Katelyn, with the resources they need to build confidence and unlock their full potential. Together, we're helping them shape a future defined by possibilities, not limitations - and that means a brighter future for all of us.

We’re just days away from the end of our $12K match challenge—and we need your help to unlock this opportunity! Every dollar you donate will be doubled up to 12K—if we meet the match. We're halfway there!

Your gift will provide on-site mentor-trainers, mental health therapists, veterinary care, food and gas cards, temporary housing, and 24/7 support for veterans, first responders, children and others with disabilities—at no cost to them.

It costs approximately $28K to welcome a new client and their family into our program, and our commitment to them lasts a lifetime. Will you help us meet the match and give the gift of new hope in the New Year?

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278
or click the FB button on this post.

26/12/2024

10 Days of Giving: For many of our veterans, trust has been shattered, leaving them withdrawn and closed off. But through a service dog, that trust begins to rebuild. And as they work with their fellow veterans in the program, their circle of trust grows.

In fact, 33% of our graduates report an increase in communication—a powerful testament to putting the right resources in their hands. And it all starts with your support.

Our mentor-trainer Steve knows that journey first-hand. In this video he shares how his service dog Merlin and OFP helped him regain trust, open up again, and pay it forward- creating a ripple effect of healing far beyond his own.

Today, give more than a gift—give a lifeline. We’re almost HALFWAY to meeting our match challenge and need your help! Every dollar you donate will be doubled—up to $12K—to bring our 48-week training program and wraparound services to more veterans, first responders, children, and other individuals with disabilities, along with their families —at no cost to them. Plus, dogs waiting in shelters who qualify to become service dogs can begin a new life of purpose.

Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com
Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278
or Click on this FB post

26/12/2024

Happy 1st night of Hanukkah! 🕎 Wishing you and your family a season filled with peace, love, joy, and light. 🌟 Thank you for helping make this holiday season brighter for our clients and their families. Your kindness and generosity is a true gift to our mission!

25/12/2024

🎄🎁 Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄 On this special day, we wish you comfort, joy, and the warmth of being surrounded by the ones you love. We are deeply grateful for all you do, as you continue to help us bring hope and healing where it’s most needed—this holiday season and beyond.🌟

To those serving our country and communities today, we offer our deepest gratitude for your sacrifices and the sacrifices of your families. You are all in our hearts today and always. 🇺🇸

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http://www.operationfreedompaws.org/

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10 Days of Giving: These are the final hours to make a tax-deductible donation in 2024 that helps save lives. Our goal is within reach—will you help us fund a new service dog team before the new year? Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278 Or donate on this FB post A heartfelt thank you to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who’ve partnered with us to provide healing, critical resources, and support to veterans, first responders, children, and other individuals with disabilities in critical need, along with their families- at no cost to them. Because of you, shelter dogs have also found new purpose as medical lifelines, empowering our clients to regain their independence and transform their lives. Throughout the 10 Days of Giving, our clients have shared their stories, highlighting the lifesaving impact of your support. As we wrap up 2024, we’re honored to present a compilation of these powerful stories (Content Warning: This video addresses suicidal ideations). A heartfelt thank you to our clients and their families for their bravery, hard work, and trust in our program. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Thank you for helping bring hope, healing, and independence in 2025!

10 Days of Giving: Service dogs are our clients' medical lifelines, empowering them to navigate a new normal and manage their disabilities. Therapy dogs, like Riggins, play a different but vital role in serving our communities—combating loneliness, reducing stress, and spreading joy in hospitals, schools, and senior living facilities. When you give, you’re not only supporting lifesaving service dog teams, but also helping us train OFP therapy dog teams that provide critical mental health support to our communities. In this video, Rosanne shares her experience as an OFP therapy dog handler and the powerful impact she witnesses as Riggins touches the lives of everyone he meets. Thanks to your generosity, we’re within reach of not only meeting our 12K match but fully funding a new lifesaving team before the new year! Please help us finish 2024 strong and let a veteran or first responder know they’ll no longer face their service-related injuries alone. We’re committed to their journey for a lifetime. Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278 Or donate on this FB post

10 Days of Giving: For many of our veterans, trust has been shattered, leaving them withdrawn and closed off. But through a service dog, that trust begins to rebuild. And as they work with their fellow veterans in the program, their circle of trust grows. In fact, 33% of our graduates report an increase in communication—a powerful testament to putting the right resources in their hands. And it all starts with your support. Our mentor-trainer Steve knows that journey first-hand. In this video he shares how his service dog Merlin and OFP helped him regain trust, open up again, and pay it forward- creating a ripple effect of healing far beyond his own. Today, give more than a gift—give a lifeline. We’re almost HALFWAY to meeting our match challenge and need your help! Every dollar you donate will be doubled—up to $12K—to bring our 48-week training program and wraparound services to more veterans, first responders, children, and other individuals with disabilities, along with their families —at no cost to them. Plus, dogs waiting in shelters who qualify to become service dogs can begin a new life of purpose. Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278 or Click on this FB post

10 Days of Giving: Over 2.7 million veterans struggle with PTSD. For many, the hardest fight is the transition home. Ramon was on the brink of losing both his family and his hope. But with his service dog, Huey, and the resources and support of our program, he found his way back to both and discovered a renewed sense of purpose. You can help a veteran like Ramon reclaim their life and heal their family This holiday season, give more than a gift—give a lifeline. Every dollar you donate today will be matched, up to $12,000, thanks to our generous match donors. Please help us make the most of this amazing gift! Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278 or click the FB button on this post

10 Days of Giving. Double Your Donation: Mary has always said that when someone is truly struggling, you can hear it in their voice over the phone. Here she shares how a call with a fellow veteran changed the course of her life, helping shape OFP’s mission, and our commitment to saving lives. This holiday season, give more than just a gift, give a lifeline. If you donate now, you can DOUBLE the lifesaving impact of your tax-deductible gift up to $12k—thanks to our generous match donors! It’s a powerful way to make your gift go twice as far to support critical program resources that save lives. Online Donations: https://giftalifeline.givesmart.com Mobile Donations: Text giftalifeline to 76278 or click the donate button on this FB post Content Warning: This video addresses suicidal ideations.

#GivingTuesday: Early Intervention Saves Lives. As we wrap up our #GivingTuesday shares, there is still time to intervene and help make critical resources for our clients and their families possible. If you haven't seen our mentor-trainer Steve's video yet, we are sharing it here tonight (full length video on our platform). Deepest thanks to Steve for sharing his story.🙏 We are so grateful to all of you who are donating and helping us empower more lives to be saved at both ends of the leash and families to find hope and healing. Ways to Give: Help us finish strong💪 OFP #GivingTuesday Platform: https://OFPGT2024.givesmart.com Facebook: Click the "Donate" button on this post. Mobile: Text OFPGT2024 to 76278

Our OFP Fundraising Champions, like K9 Niko, have been getting really creative with their fundraising efforts leading up to our 13th Annual "Paws with Patriots" Wine Gala on August 3rd! We really hope you'll join us, there's still time, but tickets are selling out fast. If you're unable to attend but wish to make a donation to support our biggest fundraiser of the year, this is a great way to do it! You can see all our amazing champions on our event platform; many are veterans and first responders themselves. They're dedicated to fundraising for our mission, but they need your help! It only takes a few minutes to donate and make a life-changing impact. Thank you OFP community for your invaluable support!🙏🙏🙏 OFP 13th Annual "Paws with Patriots" Wine Gala Platform (scroll down to the OFP Champion Fundraisers to help them meet their goal: https://pawswithpats24.givesmart.com

Mary always speaks from the heart. Here's her acceptance speech for the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce "2024 Nonprofit of the Year".

This New Year's Eve, we're sharing one final heartfelt message to you all from our founder and executive director Mary Cortani for 2023. We hope you'll take a few minutes to watch before welcoming in 2024. ➡️Online Giving Platform: (quick, easy, and highly secure) https://ofpendofyear23.givesmart.com ➡️Mobile Donations: text ofpendofyear23 to 76278

Day 9 of OFP's 10 Days of Giving: These are the final hours of giving in 2023! Today you can make one donation that helps transform two lives and heals families - like our client CJ. Earlier this week we shared a preview of CJ and Rosco's (a pup at risk of being euthanized) inspirational story. If you haven't had a chance to see the full video, here it is. It only takes a few minutes to watch and understand the life changing impact your donations make. Thank you to CJ's family for sharing their story and for their commitment to his healing journey in the program. Please share this post and consider a donation today. If we all do what we can to help, we can empower more healing journeys like CJ's together.❤️‍🩹 ➡️Online Giving Platform: (quick, easy, and highly secure) https://ofpendofyear23.givesmart.com ➡️Mobile Donations: text ofpendofyear23 to 76278

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